Earth Day is celebrated all weekend with many volunteer opportunities available in Central Oregon. Hundreds of volunteers are being coordinated through Volunteer Connect for SOLVE IT, Oregon's largest environmental service event. Community members of all ages are encouraged to join more than 6,000 volunteers across the state on Friday and Saturday, April 22-23. Below are some of the projects seeking volunteers for Earth Day in Central Oregon.
Camp Polk Weed Pull
Friday, April 22, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
"Help improve habitat at the Deschutes Land Trust's Camp Polk Meadow Preserve by removing invasive weeds. We'll be pulling teasel and mullein and any other noxious weeds we encounter. Bring a lunch and plenty of water; after a few hours of weed eradication, we'll go for a short hike to the scenic and newly restored Whychus Creek and learn about the history of Camp Polk and past and future restoration efforts on Whychus Creek."
Registration required: Volunteer Connect, [email protected] 541-385-8977
High Desert Museum: Let's Pull Together!
Saturday, April 23, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
"The High Desert Museum boast 135 acres of Central Oregon beauty. We welcome the generosity of community members in supporting our ground beautification efforts, We All Pull Together! Please join our team of staff and museum volunteers for invasive plant removal. You will receive a one-day guest pass for your service."
Volunteer meeting place: Enter the glass doors at the back of the museum.
Registration required: Volunteer Connect, [email protected] 541-385-8977
Pettigrew Road clean up
Saturday, April 23, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
"This project is managed by Alpine Accounting Services, an adopt-a-road participant. Pettigrew is a ½ mile stretch of road in Bend that is experiencing dramatic growth. Cars, trucks, pedestrians and bicyclist all use it. Construction and spring storms have left a considerable amount of litter. Alpine Accounting Services has teamed up with Bend Beatification Project for this event."
Bags, gloves, reflective vests and litter grabbers provided.
Meet at 9 a.m. for doughnuts and coffee
Registration required: Volunteer Connect, [email protected] 541-385-8977
Auger and Trout Creek Restoration
Saturday, April 23, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
"A pair of recent stream restoration projects require transplanting riparian vegetation and installing protective caging for recent transplants until they are large enough to withstand grazing pressure. Transplanting native riparian vegetation is imperative to speed the restoration process, increase stream bank stability and prevent colonization by invasive weeds."
Bring a lunch, water, close-toed sturdy shoes, and items for sun protection.
Volunteer meeting place at 8 a.m.: Prineville Forest Service Supervisors Office 3160 NE 3rd St Prineville OR 97754
Registration required: Volunteer Connect, [email protected] 541-385-8977
City of Redmond – Dry Canyon Clean Up
Saturday, April 23, 9 to 11 a.m.
"To help celebrate Earth Day, the City of Redmond is hosting a clean up of the City's most used and valuable environmental asset – The Dry Canyon. The Canyon gets heavily used by recreationalists of all kinds including hikers, bikers, dog park users, skate boarders, ball players and more. All the use brings litter, so let's work together to help clean it up!"
Registration required: Volunteer Connect, [email protected] 541-385-8977
Steelhead Falls Cleanup
Saturday, April 23, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
"Friends and Neighbors (FANs) of Deschutes Canyon volunteers have teamed up with the BLM to work on removing invasive weeds along the Steelhead Falls trail of the Deschutes River. FANs need volunteers to help with this weed removal and litter cleanup."
Registration required: Volunteer Connect, [email protected] 541-385-8977
COCC Collaborative Garden Planting
Saturday, April 23, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
"Come on up to the COCC Collaborative Garden for a fun day of garden work! Work together with students, faculty, and community members to increase plant diversity and add some beauty to our garden. The morning will start with coffee and snacks and a briefing of activities for the day followed by an afternoon BBQ and hang out in the garden (Bring Your Own Beef)."
Registration required: Volunteer Connect, [email protected] 541-385-8977
Metolius River Trail Project
Saturday, April 23, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
"Join us for a support day for the Metolius River by planting native vegetation and improving the trail through the small and important riparian zone. Help us to protect stream banks and the water quality which makes the Metolius famous for its hiking and fishing. We will be working with staff from Deschutes National Forest and Friends of Metolius to care for the trail and access points. The Metolius River Trail Restoration Project will link volunteers with needed improvements to the 15.3 mile Metolius River trail, including replacement of existing trail structures and fixing erosion problems along the river. Bring a lunch, plenty of water, and clothes appropriate for the weather. To help with our planning, please rsvp, and let us know if you want to carpool or have questions, contact Darek ([email protected]). We are departing from Bend at 9 a.m. and carpooling, meeting in Camp Sherman at 10 a.m."
Spring Cleanup in the Food Forest
Saturday, April 23, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
"The Nativity Food Forest is a 3/4-acre community garden that is always open to everyone. Every spring it needs to be cleaned up and made ready for the growing season. This includes dead heading perennials, some weeding, spreading bark on the paths and putting in new soil amendments as needed. Being a food forest means that it is all organic and we follow strict permaculture guidelines (no weed killers allowed!). This would be a great opportunity to learn about the food forest and see what it has to offer."
Registration required: Volunteer Connect, [email protected] 541-385-8977
